Faking It Again
by thatsoddlyromantic
Summary: Picking up right where the season finale ended, everything has changed - but is it for the better? Friendships will be tested and new relationships will bloom, as two girls find themselves on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.
1. What Comes Around

Chapter 1: What Comes Around...

Amy woke up, an unfamiliar pounding sensation in her head. _Where am I?_ The events of last night were a complete blur to her. She slowly opened her eyes, fearing the worst, only to see the glow-in-the-dark stars that scattered across her ceiling. _Okay, I'm in my room. Good. _Amy rolled over onto her side, just about to go back to sleep – that is, until she saw who was on the other side of the bed. Lying in bed beside her was none other than Liam Booker, self-proclaimed heartbreaker of Hester High – and Karma's kind-of boyfriend.

With a sharp jolt she sat up, a look of panic clearly evident on her face. If she wasn't awake already, she was now. _Fuck._ _What is Liam doing here?! _Rubbing her temples, she thought back to her mom's wedding and tried to piece the events of the night together – which was proving to be a challenge in her hungover state. There was the speech. And then she confessed her true feelings to Karma. Which, admittedly hadn't gone over as well as Amy had thought it would. She sighed despondently. The last thing Amy remembered was sitting at a table with Lauren during the reception, downing glass after glass of champagne. _So I guess I got completely wasted…then what?_

She thought back to her current situation, hoping it would fill in some blanks. _I'm naked and hungover. And Liam's in my bed._ Suddenly, the proverbial light bulb went off in Amy's head. Her eyes widened with horror as it all became clear. _Holy fuck. Did I sleep with Liam Booker? …Fuck. Fuck, fuck, FUCK! _As if on cue, Liam arose from the tangled mess of sheets. He looked over at Amy, rubbing his eyes as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Amy frantically grabbed at the bedsheets, pulling them tightly to her chest.

"So…I guess that really happened…I can't believe it."

"Yeah, well that makes two of us," Amy added, wryly.

Liam climbed out of bed, looking around for his clothes from the night before.

"When you put the moves on me I was kind of shocked…I thought you were in love with Karma! "

He grabbed his dress pants from the floor and started tugging them on.

"Unless, y'know…you're faking being a lesbian too."

He haphazardly threw his suit jacket on as he turned to look at Amy, who was obviously surprised.

"Shane filled me in on the whole thing," he admitted.

"Well, what if I told you…" she took a deep breath before continuing, "that I'm not faking it."

"Woah. So you really are…" his voice trailed off.

"I don't know if I'm a lesbian. I'd never even considered being with a girl before this whole mess happened. But kissing Karma was like…"

She thought about it for a minute, trying to find the right words.

"You know when you had your favorite dessert for the very first time? And as soon you tasted the first bite, you found yourself longing for more? And you didn't even know something was missing from your life, but now that you've experienced it you don't know how you ever lived without it?"

Liam looked slightly confused at her analogy, but nodded anyway.

"Well, that's what kissing Karma was like."

Remembering who she was talking to, Amy added, "So was kissing her just as…magical for you?"

"Yeah. The second our lips met, it felt like we were the only two people in the world. That it was just her and me, wrapped up in each other forever."

Liam sighed.

"And I really started to fall for her, too. It's a shame she screwed me over like that."

"Hello? What about me? She broke my heart too, you know!"

"Oh. Right. Well I guess she kind of screwed both of us over then, huh?"

Amy gave a dejected nod.

"Karma's my best friend. Or at least she was…what if she'll never talk to me again? What if I ruined everything by telling her I'm in love with her?"

"You said _I'm_, not _I was_."

"Huh?"

Amy looked at Liam with a quizzical expression.

"When you were talking about your feelings for Karma just now…you said "I'm in love with her", not "I was in love with her"."

"That's the thing. Even though she pretty much gave me the biggest stop sign in the universe, my heart just won't listen. I still love her. As more than a friend."

Amy sighed deeply.

"But what she did to me – and to you – really wasn't cool. She played with both of our hearts and honestly, I'm still kind of hurt by it. I thought we told each other everything…guess not."

She remembered the way her heart plummeted when she saw Karma and Liam crawl out from under the table at her mom's wedding.

Suddenly, Liam spoke up.

"What if we could get back at her somehow?"

Amy could tell that a plan was brewing in his head. Most likely a devious one. _After all, were there any other kinds of plans that Liam Booker could concoct?_

"Okay, I'm game. So what were you thinking, exactly?"

"What if the two of us pretended to be a couple? You know, like how you and Karma were faking it?"

Amy couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Sorry? You want me to pretend to be your fucking girlfriend?"

Liam shot her an apologetic look.

"I know, I know. After everything that's happened, I'm probably the last person you want to see, let alone pretend to be dating. But just think about it. We both felt a spark with Karma, right?"

"Yeah…"

"So what if we show her that two can play at her own game? When she sees you and me together, she's gonna be so jealous. Her best friend and her ex-secret boyfriend hooking up…what sweet, sweet revenge."

"Are we really not going to talk about what happened last night?"

"Oh…the sex, you mean?"

Amy looked at him with a 'duh' expression.

"Right. It was good, not gonna lie. But when Karma and I did it, it was more, uh, passionate."

Just hearing Liam talk about having sex with Karma made her blood boil.

"Well, that's wonderful! Because honestly - I didn't feel a thing."

It wasn't a word of a lie, either. Amy had never really been attracted to Liam and having sex with him sure as hell didn't change that fact. It was a stupid decision, stupider yet since she was wasted beyond belief and feeling heartbroken at the time.

The two of them sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments.

"Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way... just hear me out, Amy. Karma will be jealous that we're together – but who will she be more jealous of?"

At that point, it dawned on Amy that Liam might actually be on to something.

"She'll have to choose between us."

"Exactly."

"And you know how Hester High feeds on gossip. It won't take long for her to find out about the hottest new couple – Liam and Amy!"

"I never thought I'd say these words, but Liam Booker, you're a genius. Well, an evil genius, but still..."

Liam smirked, clearly pleased with himself.

"Now get the fuck out of here so I can get some clothes on."


	2. Leave A Message After The Kiss

**A/N: Wow, I'm blown away by the love that this story's already getting! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing...hopefully you enjoy this chapter just as much!**

Chapter 2: Leave A Message After The Kiss

After the last bell of the day had rang, the hallways of Hester High flooded with students, making it incredibly hard to maneuver through the crowd. People streamed out from their various classes, instantly finding themselves entrenched in the chaos that was the after school rush. However, amidst the sea of people, there was one person that meant the entire world to Amy.

_Karma. _

Despite the fact that her best friend had broken her heart and snuck around behind her back, Amy couldn't help but love her. And yet, at the same time, she was incredibly pissed off at her. _I guess that's the funny thing about love,_ Amy thought. _No matter how much of a complete idiot they are, you can't help but want them anyway._

Suddenly, an all too familiar voice shook Amy from her thoughts.

"Amy!"

_Well, speak of the devil herself._

Amy lifted her head up and saw Karma standing at the opposite end of the hallway, wearing a boho-style minidress and ankle boots. When Karma made eye contact with Amy, she gave a hesitant wave. Amy's breath caught in her throat. She ducked her head and pushed past the crowd, not ready to face her best friend just yet. Karma watched as the girl who had been by her side for most of her life walked past her as if she were a complete stranger. She didn't even smile back at her.

Karma's heart sank. _Was this how it was going to be from here on out?_ After Amy had told her that she loved her - in a more than platonic way - the blonde had avoided her like the plague. Karma had even tried texting her that night, trying to reassure her that they would still be best friends no matter what. No answer.

She had hoped there would be a good reason behind Amy's lack of communication - after all, it had been almost a full day since they had last spoken to each other. 20 hours and 17 minutes, to be exact. The longest the two of them had ever gone without speaking.  
Unfortunately, Amy's deliberate cold shoulder in the hallway just then proved otherwise. She was definitely avoiding Karma on purpose.

Karma had had enough of this. She whipped out her phone and quickly scrolled through her contacts until she got to Amy's number.

Amy had almost rounded the corner when she happened to spot Liam at his locker. She snuck a glance back at Karma, checking to see if she was still looking at her. She was. Good, Amy thought. Now was the time to set her and Liam's master plan into motion. The two of them had decided that their first move would be to catch Karma's attention with some not-so-subtle PDA at school – and this seemed like the perfect time to do so.

She confidently strode up to Liam and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey babe," she said flirtatiously.

_What on earth is Amy doing talking to Liam?_ Karma wondered.

Just then, Amy's phone started ringing. She looked at the display picture and saw that it was Karma calling her.

"Who's that?" Liam asked, gesturing to her phone.

"Oh, just Karma." Amy said with a nonchalant shrug.

She let her phone continue to ring, much to Karma's annoyance. Knowing fully well that Karma was still looking, Amy made a sudden bold move and kissed Liam. _On the lips._

Karma's face fell. She stood there with her mouth agape, unable to believe what she was seeing. _Amy and Liam?_ Sure, they had kissed during the night of the threesome that never was, but that was just part of the foreplay. Right? Or…was it possible that Amy had _actual feelings for Liam?_ And why did she care so much that Amy was kissing Liam, anyway?

Her mind was going a million miles an hour trying to make sense of it all. Unable to stand even another second of seeing her hopefully-still-best friend and ex-kind-of-boyfriend being all lovey-dovey together, Karma turned and walked out the door as fast as she could. She really needed some fresh air right now.

Once Karma had left, the fake couple broke from their liplock (much to their relief).

"Do you think she bought it?" Amy asked in a low voice.

"I hope so."

"I would've loved to see her face when we started kissing!" Amy laughed.

"Yeah, I bet it was priceless!"

"Well, now isn't this an interesting development."

The two of them turned around to see none other than Shane Harvey, Liam's best friend and Amy's self-appointed spirit guide to the world of the gay. He was sporting his signature judgmental smirk and perfectly coiffed hair.

Shane eyed the pair with a look of curiosity.

"So," he asked, arms folded, "when did this happen?"

Amy looked over to Liam, who gave her a look of reassurance, as if to say _go with the story we rehearsed._

"Well," Amy started. "It was the night of my mom's wedding, and I was sitting at the banquet table alone. Karma had already gone home, and I had had a few too many drinks. Liam came over and asked if he could sit with me. Well, one thing led to another and before I knew it…we were kissing. Sparks flew and both of us felt it."

Shane gasped.

"Scandalous!"

He took a pause before adding, "Does Karma know about you two?"

Amy was unsure how to answer that question. Thankfully, Liam interjected.

"We haven't told her yet," he said. "But I'm pretty sure that when she finds out she'll be cool with it."

"I wonder what she'll say when she finds out that her ex-fake-girlfriend, " - he gestured to Amy, "and ex-real-boyfriend," - he waved his hand at Liam, "are a _thing_?"

He said the word "thing" in a hushed whisper, as if to emphasize his shock.

Just then, Amy heard her ringtone go off. She pulled out her phone, seeing that she had one new text message. It was from Karma. Her heart leapt as she read it.

_We need to talk. It's important. I mean…really important. Please, Amy! _


	3. Best Friends For Never

**A/N: Wow, it's been a while since I've updated this! Thanks for all the feedback and sorry for the wait... hopefully you enjoy this chapter :)**

Chapter 3: Best Friends For Never

Karma stood on the rooftop of Hester High, feeling the cool breeze as it whipped her hair around. She looked behind her for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past few minutes. _No Amy yet._ She sighed. As much as she was afraid of heights, Karma had agreed to meet Amy on the rooftop so that they could talk things out. It was a miracle that Amy had even agreed to talk to her at all since she hadn't responded to a single one of her texts or calls after the wedding fiasco.

As soon as Karma's phone screen had finally lit up with a new text from her best friend, she breathed a sigh of relief. Since Amy had agreed to talk things out face to face with her, Karma thought it was only fair to let her pick the place. Upon suggesting they go up to the rooftop, Karma groaned. That was the last place she wanted to go – especially because of her fear of heights. But she knew better than to try and pick a fight over it. The last thing she wanted right now was to upset Amy any further than she already had.

_Okay, I'll be there,_ Karma had typed back.

It seemed strangely fitting that their heart-to-heart would be taking place on the rooftop. After all, that was where this whole mess started. If only Karma hadn't been so stupidly blinded by the deceptively attractive glare of popularity. So desperate to stop being an insecure nobody that she would do anything, including faking a relationship with her best friend, in order to fit in. On top of that, she remained completely oblivious to the very real feelings Amy had for her. She had thought the whole lesbian relationship thing was like a game, a game that would catapult her into the social stratosphere, and Amy was simply playing along. _How did I not realize? How could I have been so stupid?_

The sound of approaching footsteps made Karma turn around. It was Amy.

"Hey," Amy said softly, looking down at her shoes.

"Hey, Amy."

"So what did you need to talk to me about? It sounded important."

Now it was Karma's turn to look down at the ground, as she contemplated her next words.

"Amy, look. I'm sorry about what happened. Really… I mean it. Can we be friends again?"

She looked at Amy with the utmost sincerity in her eyes.

In spite of the fact that Karma had crushed her heart, the last thing that Amy wanted was to lose her best friend. Even if that meant being best friends was all they ever would be. She couldn't imagine a world without Karma.

"Yeah, friends would be nice. "

"So… are we good?"

"Yeah. We're good."

For a split second Karma thought about hugging Amy. She didn't want to send mixed signals though, so she held back.

"So, as a friend – I have to ask. What was that with you and Liam earlier?"

Amy feigned cluelessness.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you kissing him, Amy. At his locker."

Amy gulped. She dreaded the words she was about to say next, but knew that they needed to be spoken.

"Karma… Liam and I are together. For real."

She emphasized the last part as if to prove a point.

Karma felt as if she was a balloon that someone had just taken a pin to. She desperately wanted to make things right with Amy, but somehow hearing her admit to Karma that she was hooking up with her ex-boyfriend caused something to snap inside of her.

"I can't believe it. You're seriously dating Liam? Of all the people in this whole fucking school," she took a deep breath, "you chose him? I thought you weren't even interested in Liam… or were you faking that all this time too?"

Amy was stung by Karma's words. She stood with her mouth agape, feeling both hurt and shocked.

"Why does it matter to you who I'm dating anyway? You're my best friend. You're supposed to be happy for me!"

"Well, I'm happy for you then. Congratulations, you just scored the hottest guy at Hester High. Give yourself a pat on the back."

Karma rolled her eyes.

Amy had had more than enough of Karma's negative attitude. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a little voice told her that now was the time to test the waters.

"Wow. You know, I'm starting to think that maybe – maybe the reason you care so much that I'm dating Liam is because you really do have feelings for me. But you're too afraid to say anything because you can't even accept it yourself."

"That's it. I wanted to work things out, Amy, I really did. But you just pushed it too far. I'm done with all of this. I'm done with you."

Amy ignored Karma, angrily storming past her.

"Have fun kissing Liam!" Karma shouted.

Amy whirled around with her arms crossed and stared straight at Karma.

"Have fun looking for a new best friend."

With that, Amy was gone. Karma stood on the rooftop feeling numb as she replayed their conversation in her mind. There was one part in particular that stuck out to her, running on repeat like a broken record.

"Maybe the reason you care so much that I'm dating Liam is because you really do have feelings for me. "

An uneasy feeling washed over Karma. _Was there any truth to Amy's words?_

She thought back to the day they had first kissed at the homecoming assembly. When their lips met, Karma had definitely felt _something_. What that something was, she wasn't exactly sure – but it was there. And admittedly, things had felt different between her and Amy while they were pretending to be a couple. Not in a bad way, either. Just in a… _different_ way. Perhaps Karma had enjoyed the whole charade a little bit more than she should have? But it couldn't be true. Amy was her best friend. Oh right – _was_ being the operative word. In a little bit less than a day, Karma had found herself without both her best friend and her boyfriend.

Still, Amy's words resonated somewhere deep inside her heart, causing Karma's thoughts to ricochet off of each other in a confused jumble she didn't know quite how to make sense of. _What do I really want? Who do I really want?_ A few weeks ago it had all seemed so simple to her, but now – things were more complicated than they had ever been. And the worst part was, she had no idea what to do about any of it.


	4. Gay Bars Are A Girl's Best Friend

**A/N: Sorry for not updating in a while! I've been pretty busy but I'll try not to leave you waiting too long for the next chapter again. That said... enjoy!**

Chapter 4: Gay Bars Are A Girl's Best Friend

Amy's mind was still reeling from the conversation with Karma. She couldn't believe it. They were officially over. Not only as lovers – well, fake lovers if technicalities meant anything– but as best friends as well. Amy had walked away from Karma as quickly as she could so that the other girl wouldn't see the tears that were slowly starting to well up in her eyes. For a brief moment, she wondered if Karma felt any remorse whatsoever for causing this whole mess. _No, screw Karma._ _It's all part of the plan_, she told herself. _Karma believes that I've fallen for Liam instead of her. So she thinks I don't have feelings for her anymore. But where does that leave me? Should I continue to waste my time pining after her like I have been for the last few weeks… or should I move on? _

Suddenly, a thought came to Amy. _What if… what if I found a girlfriend? An honest to god, real girlfriend who actually felt the same way about me that I felt about her? But where could I find a girl who would, you know, be interested in dating a girl?_ _The only place I can think of is – The Twain. _Amy thought back to the last time that she'd been to the hangout hotspot that doubled as a "lesbian coffee shop by day and gay bar by night", as Shane had put it. Suffice it to say, she had not been as subtle when it came to flirting as she had hoped she was being. And there's no way that she was going to use SYZZR again – as well-intentioned as the dating app was, it just wasn't her style. Amy much rather preferred to connect with people she was meeting for the first time face-to-face. _Oh, fuck it._ Amy got into her car and started up the engine. She had made up her mind. She was going to try to get over Karma, even if it killed her poor heart trying.

Karma didn't know what to feel. The person who she had told everything to for years, who had shared in her secrets and slumber parties and planned scavenger hunts for her birthday, had just walked out of her life. And it seemed like it was for good. The wind felt harsher and cooler than it had first been, making her wish she had worn a jacket. This was all her fault. She had unwittingly been the catalyst in a chain reaction that spiraled out of control, ruining countless relationships in the process. _If I hadn't been so stupid and read into things more, I would have seen it. But now it's cost me my relationship with Amy. She should have been more important than some stupid schoolgirl crush and I should have stopped this whole thing before it got too far._

Deep inside, Karma knew that there was something more to her thoughts. She wouldn't admit it, but losing Amy was making her question the person she thought she was. Karma brushed away a solitary tear as she took out her phone. Scrolling through her contact list, she sighed. There was one person she could talk to who might be able to help her sort out this mess. Once she found the name she was looking for, she hit the "call" button.

"Karma?"

"Liam… I know I'm the last person you probably want to talk to right now but ," she bit her lip nervously, "I need you to do me a favour."

There was silence on the other end before Liam finally spoke up again.

"Well, it depends what you were thinking of…"

"I was wondering if –" Karma took a deep breath. "If you could give me Shane's number."

When Amy stepped inside the Twain, she found it to be quieter than usual. Well, at least quieter since the last time she was there – she didn't exactly frequent the place. Since it was late afternoon most people hadn't arrived yet. Amy decided the best plan of action would be to take a seat and scope out possible contenders from a safe distance. She happened to notice a petite redheaded girl sitting at one of the booths by herself. _Wow, she's pretty,_ Amy thought to herself. She was just about to go over and try to strike up a conversation with the girl – at least until she noticed another girl approaching the table. The second girl looked like a stereotypical beach bombshell - all tanned skin, lithe limbs, and long flowing hair. And she was sitting down at the booth, affectionately putting her arm around the redhead.

"Hey babe," she said, pecking her cheek.

Amy sighed. _Of course, there was already a girlfriend. Just my luck. _She felt like sinking into the upholstery of the blue leather booth.

Not feeling up to watching the blissfully happy couple engage in PDA, Amy walked over to the bar on the other side. She took a seat on one of the stools and sat despondently, resting her head in her hands. Why is it so hard to find a nice, single girl in this town? Things were so much easier when I was with Karma.

"Waiting for someone?"

Amy looked up and found that there was a girl standing in front of her. A really attractive girl, nonetheless. She had expressive brown eyes akin to those of a doe and a megawatt smile. Her wavy chestnut hair was pinned back so as not to fall in her face. She wore a bright blue polo shirt with a navy apron, as well as a short black pleated miniskirt and a pair of studded tan ankle boots. The girl was flat-out gorgeous and Amy couldn't take her eyes off of her. It took her a moment to even register the other girl's words.

"Huh?" she managed, dumbfounded.

Amy realized how stupid she must have looked, quickly scrambling to pull herself together.

"Oh, no – not me. I'm not waiting for anyone, actually. I just broke up with my girlfriend, you know."

_Did I really just say that?_ Amy thought. _Well, I guess it is kind of true, right?_

"Your girlfriend, hmm?"

Amy nodded deliberately, as if to re-affirm her statement.

"Well that sucks… any chance a drink might help cure those breakup blues? It's on the house."

The girl winked at Amy. _Oh my god, is she trying to flirt with me? I guess this is my chance…_

"S-sure, a drink would be good!" she stammered. _Pull yourself together, Raudenfeld!_

"So, I haven't seen you around before…"

The girl, who was currently pouring what appeared to be some kind of cocktail, raised her head.

"Oh, I'm new in town. Just moved here a couple weeks ago actually! And I know I haven't seen you around either."

She set the bottle down and rested her elbows on the countertop, leaning in ever so slightly towards Amy.

"I mean, if I'd have seen a girl who's as much of a stunner as you… I would've remembered her for sure."

Amy felt her cheeks heat up.

"I'm Cam, by the way. Well my real name's Camryn but no one really calls me that except for my parents. And you?"

The girl – Cam – looked at Amy expectantly, waiting for her to provide an answer.

"Oh, right! My name. I'm Amy."

She smiled awkwardly.

"Pretty name for a pretty girl… I dig it."

Cam picked up the drink she had concocted and handed it to Amy, who eyed it curiously.

"What exactly is this? I mean I should probably know since I'm the one drinking it."

"Just a strawberry lime margarita with a tiny bit of vodka – nothing too fancy!"

"Mmm, that actually sounds pretty good right about now."

Amy took a sip of her margarita.

"You like it?" Cam asked.

"Yeah… I really like it!"

Cam grinned. Then she shot a quick glance at the clock mounted on the wall behind her.

"Oh, shit. I've gotta go help set a few things up before the late night crowd get here."

She reached over to grab something from the counter – a napkin, Amy could see. Cam then grabbed a Sharpie marker and jotted something down on the napkin, folding it up before handing it to Amy.

"If you need someone, you know where to find me." she said with a flirtatious smile. Then, she disappeared into the back room.

Amy cautiously unfolded the napkin, trying hard not to get her hopes up. But there it was, in all its glory. Cam's phone number. Her heart leapt with excitement and a huge smile spread its way across her face. _Score._


	5. So Tell Me What You Want

**It's been quite a while since I last updated this fic, but I finally got around to writing a new chapter last night! Hope you like it!**

Chapter 5: So Tell Me What You Want

It had taken some convincing, but Karma had finally managed to get Shane's number from Liam. He seemed a little suspicious when she had asked, but Karma had just told him it was for a school project and it was really, really important. Thankfully, Liam hadn't pressed the subject any further. So she had given Shane a call, hoping he wasn't too busy doing something – or someone – to pick up. Upon hearing her voice on the other end of the line, Shane had been quite surprised.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Shane… look, I know we haven't really talked much. But can I talk to you about something?"

"Okay, what happened?"

Karma was about to say something when a thought occurred to Shane.

"Hang on, how did you get my number? And why aren't you talking to Amy about… whatever this is? Wait – are you two having relationship problems?"

_Relationship problems? You could say that again._

"That's the thing." Karma took a deep breath. "It's about Amy."

"What exactly's going on with you two?"

"It's kind of complicated. Anyways, I was wondering if I could talk to you about it?"

"You can tell me anything."

"In private," she hastily added.

That's how Karma found herself sitting at a booth inside The Twain, nervously drumming her fingers on the edge of the table as she waited for Shane to arrive. The place was packed, people milling about every which way, laughing and talking with one another. She spotted a couple – two girls, she noted – who were making out over in the far corner near the bar and her stomach turned. One of them was a brunette wearing a sundress, and the other a blonde in a t-shirt and jeans. From a distance, they looked a little like her and Amy. Karma blinked. Surely her subconscious was playing tricks on her. She turned her gaze away from the two girls, looking back towards the entrance. Shane still hadn't shown.

It took a few more minutes but he finally strolled inside, greeting one of the male bartenders as he made his way over to Karma. Shane seemed like he was practically a regular at the place, while Karma felt like a complete outsider, having never been there in her life. Once Shane finally reached the booth he slid into the seat across from Karma, skipping any pleasantries and getting right to the point.

"Alright, I'm dying to know. What's this really about?"

_Here we go,_ Karma thought.

"Like I said, it's about Amy. I've been thinking a lot about things lately and… I think I might have had a change of heart."

Shane leaned in towards her, indicating his interest in the conversation.

"Go on, I'm listening…"

Karma fiddled with her bracelet and glanced down for a moment before finally looking up to meet Shane's eyes.

"I think I have feelings for her."

Her confession lingered in the air for a moment, a combination of relief and nervousness washing over her.

Shane settled back in his seat, looking at her bewildered.

"Well, this changes everything. Does she know?"

"No, she doesn't! Look, _I_ didn't even know I had feelings for her until recently. I just thought that we were both, you know…"

"Faking it?" Shane offered.

Karma nodded.

"I got so caught up in pretending to be in love with her that I didn't even realize," – Karma's voice wavered a little – "that she was actually in love with me. And it just, it caught me so off guard… I didn't know what to do. And I never thought that I might love her in that way too – I mean, I'm in love with Liam! I can't be in love with Liam and maybe have feelings for Amy!"

She looked at Shane, desperation evident in her eyes.

"You have to promise me you won't tell her."

"I won't. Gay scout's honour. But I hate to break it to you, Karma… but I think Amy might have already moved on."

"I know." Karma cut in. "She's with Liam now."

She spat the words out as if they had left an unpleasant taste in her mouth.

"The two of them were looking pretty cozy when I ran into them at school earlier." Shane commented.

"I just – I can't believe it." Karma sighed. "Not only do I lose my best friend and my boyfriend, but they end up dating each other. And then I realize I might be in love with both of them."

"Ouch, that's rough. I guess what goes around comes around," Shane said. "I mean you should know that, given your name's Karma and all."

Karma narrowed her eyes at him.

"Not helping!"

"I have to say, I had a feeling this day might come."

"What do you mean?"

Shane smirked. "Let's just say my gaydar is pretty accurate."

"I'm not gay!" Karma blurted. "At least, I don't think I am. I still like Liam. Or I thought I did. I don't know! It's all so confusing."

She buried her head in her hands, feeling overwhelmed by all the thoughts that were currently racing through her mind. Somehow saying it out loud had made it a lot more real.

"So. What do you want to do about it?"

Shane's voice cut into her thoughts, making her look up.

"I don't know." Karma mumbled.

"Think about it, Karma. What do you really want?"

Karma took a moment to reflect on everything that had happened over the past few weeks. Then in a sudden moment of clarity, she knew exactly what to say.

"I want my best friend back. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen."


End file.
